Archive for June, 2013

Be safe out there….long time racer and fast guy Karl went down hard in the sprint.
He’s okay,
But there are a few loose things to tie up.

Anyway, before we get to bike stuff, I hope your livers enjoyed W.S.A.T.U last weekend.

I”m embarrassed, Mrs Dr. Evil and I were having dinner on Main street….actually on main street at the Sheeshy Savor the Summit.
There were staffs though.
Here is Hurl.
This might be the Hurl-Tron 5000 as well.

Note – this is the full post…it seems that part of the post was removed earlier. Anyway, enjoy.
I’d like to share with you all, the events of the past week.
We’ll start off with a pic from a week ago. Last Thursday, the Park City Chamber held their Outdoor orientated mixer….so of course, I showed up with Dar and the Bon Scot Memorial Whisky Bar.
The event was nice, and as always, its nice to show support to our town and its outdoor activities.
Bright and early the next morning, it was time to fly to Michigan for my high school reunion.
It was a pleasure to see all who attended and to catch up on what is going on in your lives.
Kim and I rode to the event….
Dashing, I know…..our outfits scream Copenhagen…or Utah….or Idaho.
Well, the times were good, nobody went to jail and we got to eat a little bit of Primo’s pizza, so I think the night was a success.
And then, after almost 15 years, the Notorius K.I.M and I were able to travel to the Peoples Republic of Ann Arbor for 24 hrs.
Yes, it has been a very, very long time….and there was much to do.
During my 8 year tenure at the University of Michigan, you might think that I had done everything that there is to do? And your 85% right on those accounts…but for many years there have always been some nagging things that I was just not able to cross off my list. One of them was to view some of the plaques around the University.
So we checked into the Bell Tower Hotel…
Named for the famed University of Michigan landmark that is nearby
where they still give you keys that do not require electricity to use…
And we were off for lunch at Pizza House.
Then it was time for the historic tour. Plaque #1 was to commemorate the Presidents House…..a heart and soul of the University of Days of Old.
I thought I’d give my best Nixon smile here.
The next monument is the Professors’ Monument. Its old….I’d guess 1850′s ish old….and the marble plaques are written in Latin. 2 of the professors were from the School of Medicine and all perished early in their lives. I’ve appreciated the monument greatly and have always used it for motivation to get through my programs quickly…so that in case I die early….I still would have made a difference in the world. This item is a Relic, and in the service, you treat relics with reverence…which means you either give them a nice slow salute, or a touch as you go by.
Next up is the plaque showing where the Medical building was…its now the Randall lab building and I took Physics classes there.
It is at this time that I’d like to tell you how much fun having travel bicycles are. For years, when the Notorious K.I.M and I would go with my parents to football games, we’d have exactly 3 hrs to walk around campus….including time to get to and from the stadium – which means we basically got nowhere fast. On the bicycles, we covered 100 times as much ground – all while parking in the closest spots.
These are inexpensive surly traveler’s checks….and we’ve enjoyed them for years without paying an oversize luggage fee.
One thing that I have always loved about Ann Arbor are the Cruisers….note the cruiser in the background there.
The next building we visited is the Chemistry building. It sits on the site of the very first University Hospital. I have spent many, many hours in the chemistry building…..getting through weeder classes, doing labs, and plotting my next move. I have also spent much time at the University Hospital….which incidentally was purchased by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan in 2006. Just think how hard I used to work there when they send you your denial letter for services.
The First University Hospital also housed the Dental School, which I spent many clammy handed hours at and was constructed of wood..because back in the day, if you had a Pandemic…..you burned down the hospital or sank the ship….really.
There are some other hospital plaques that I visited. The old Main hospital plaque sits in front of the new Cardiovascular Center…which is impressive.
And also on the same block of the dorm I lived in my Freshmen year.
The Catherine Street hospital is just outside of the window of my favorite study room at the Taubman Library.
Its also on the block of Angelo’s, a favorite breakfast spot of mine. Angelo’s is where I would meet my father and I would go out to breakfast when he came up for a meeting and I enjoyed it very much.
The animal life around campus is pretty used to humans….still.
3 indian communities (Ottawa, Chippewa and Potawatomi) gave the U of M a land grant….well, actually they gave it to the Catholic Church – who then gave it over to Michigan….but the Old Ones are responsible for much of the land that is north of the Chem Building….like the Dental School, the Medical Campus, and North Campus. From the Red Rocks of Utah…..Pilamayae (thanks)
On to very high tech things, at Racham, they have the approval of the Salk Vaccine, also known as the Polio Vaccine, which was approved by the university of michgan, and like Fluoride in the water, was an incredible Public Health advancement.
And almost last but certainly not least, is Hill Auditorium….a place where I walked the graduation lane twice, saw numerous concerts….and have loved for years.
Then, can you guess what time it was?
Yes indeed, time to go to the Dental School
Its funny, we entered the school through the Kellogg part of the building and it was a pleasure to be there. I actually stopped to read all the studies that were posted…and I really did find them interesting and important.
We took a tour of the VERY impressive dental museum that is in the visitors center of the school.
And then it was time to attend the retirement party of renound faculty member, Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk. Dr. Woolfolk was very involved in my educational career from my decision to attend dental school rather than medical school all the way through my decision to attend residency at the University of Utah. She has had an impressive career with the University of Michigan and I can honestly say that if I could only shake one faculty persons hand from the school, it would be hers.
I attended the party and there was lots of hand shaking and “tell me about Utah and the Indians etc”. It was nice.
I’d also like to mention that Kim and I saw many students busting their asses….so if your out there wondering who is going to save the world in 10 years….they are all at Michigan tucked away in cubicles at 6pm on a Monday studying their asses off.
Lets continue the tour…..
I took Kim by the bus station that took me from A2 to Winslow Az for my first round with the Indian Health Service.
We then adjourned to the Zen Buddhist Temple, where I made an offering.
Then, to Dominiks, where I used to attend Libertarian Party meetings.
I would also try to pick up the 3 attractive women at the U of M by coaxing them with the booze infused Sangria.
I still remember a late night party where just as things were winding down, my buddies who worked at Dominiks came home and produced 4 1 litre bottles of Sangria. “This is going to be awesome” is all I remember thinking.
Anyway, we then went to the sleaziest bar in town…the 8 ball.
Which hasn’t changed as much as I have in 20 years.
I love the 8 ball. Its got that Vegas casino darkness where it always looks like 10 o clock at night.
They have art on the walls,
And god knows, at 8pm, nobody is there.
I asked the bar tended “where is the juke box?
“your standing right in fucking front of it” he replied.
Gone are the CD’s….now, it streams from the interwebs.
We spent more on the juke than we did on 3 beers and 4 shots.
Iggy Pop and Tom Waits never sounded so go.
I added a sticker to the bathroom.
And just in case you can’t tell, its here.
And then it was time to depart..but now without remembering the romance that only the 8 ball can bring.
Our last stop before hitting the pillow at 100 miles an hour (at 10pm) was Connor O Neils….a place that Kim and I actually went to while we were both in school. We ate, we drank, we had a blast.
After a blissful nights sleep, we spent the whole of the next morning at the SweetWater Cafe…where my bike shop friends and I would congregate pre ride…post ride….post work….
A delightful trip. I can’t recommend enough taking a trip down memory lane.

I”m here…..to make your Monday better….with this.
And this.
Oh, I can see you’ve had enough cat pictures.
Lets get organised here.
Perhaps you were in Flagstaff this weekend? Did you attend the NAFBE?
Did you wear funny glasses with Garro?
Did you have a blast?
I”ll bet you did.
Summer is here in the mountains and valleys and St. George saw 108 yesterday. When summer comes there are many questions about tubeless setups.
Tubeless bicycle wheels are a funny thing. I believe that in many people’s minds they are simple, bolt on solutions to flat tires and “improved traction”. I will say this…it is a VERY delicate science.
There is plenty of snow on the crest trail.
Lets move right into Dharma Wheels Shop stuff.
Look at the coordination of these two bicycles.
Look at what happens when people buy their brakes online and I fold and tell them, Okay, since you bought a $4000 frame from me, I”ll put them on.
You know what the next line in the story is? Don’t you?. Its Give me your credit card….I’m overnighting and XTR rear brake to the shop and its going to cost WAY more than you thought when you were trying to save $40.
We’ve had 1 gear be all you need up front.
And Enve be all that you need to rest your hands on mile after mile.
Matt has his custom Moots in hand.
And look, even my blushing bride got a bike. All carbon and fancy.

Retail sales is a strange beast.
And the beast is usually fairly tame.
Fun week at the shop. Everything from traditional sales to jackoffs.
Traditional Sale – Super nice fella from Jackson comes down to pick up his Kona DH/Park bike. He’s got the light in his eyes. Its his first really big bike. It fits him perfectly. We square up and he’s ready to take his bike home. We talk shock and fork adjustment. He confides in me that he’s not very good at taking off his front wheel. Of course I take a few minutes and show him how I do it. Its a pleasure. Its what I love doing as much as I love fixing people in the dental chair. Good people like that are the reason I have a bicycle shop.
Jackoff – 50 something male walks into my shop. Everybody who walks in gets squared up and my standard operation is to be friendly, but not give out very much information or pricing unless we have a sales order….because I could do that all day long and go out of business. “I’m looking for a torque wrench” he says. Hmmm, going through torque wrench options is a pretty high end endeavor and exactly what Dharma Wheels is designed to do. I gamble and look for his outs. I tell him about different kinds and the fact that I can order him one that will be here in a few days. He decides on a model and memorizes the part number.
“Well, I’ll just go down to REI and see if they have it” he concluded.
Fuck you man.

So thats how it is out there. Strikes and gutterballs.
On another retail note, Congratulations to Kris Gray who had his Lucid Cycles opening party last night.
The square I am, I showed up an hour early….but at least it was post ride and I had to get to a Moots sale….I’ll take it.
Well, its Sunday – hope you all get to ride….and relax.
Downhill season is right around the corner….and I”ll be ready.
Super amped.
And ready to rock.